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If anything typified this brilliant Coppell side then this game did. Just 10 days to go before the biggest game in the clubs history and the players careers, nothing to play for and up against the 'hardmen of football'; Wimbledon thought we would turn up and just roll over. Not for a second!

We more than matched them in every department, not one player shirking a challenge, and we even got involved in a mass brawl with a warning of a charge of bringing the game into disrepute from the FA. I will never forget the image of Dave Madden pushing 'Fash the bash' Fashanu back on his heels during the skirmish. Mark Bright's single goal settled the match.

Apart from the obvious Cup success of that season, one other thing topped it all off: we managed to keep a 100% record against our 3 South London rivals - Millwall 4-3 & 1-0, Wimbledon 2-0 & 1-0 and Charlton 2-1 & 2-0.

Martyn, Shaw and Salako in the shadow of Wimbledon's 'super' stand. I have to say i have very fond memories of Plough Lane and a ground i always loved going to.

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The moment that changed everything and oh so nearly won us the cup. Phil Barber leaves the field as a certain Ian Wright is about to explode on the match. In a pre match interview that morning, Wrighty proclaimed: 'I was born for this day!'

Actually met and chatted to John Pemberton's family that evening, getting a cab outside the ground i think they were. Was shocked to hear them tell me that John wasn't that happy at the club - didn't say why - and was looking to leave. Didn't quite believe it at the time but sure enough, the replay was his final game for Palace and he left for Sheff Utd in the summer.

Our first home game of our most successful league season ever. Most memorable for two moments: Gray and Wise both being sent off after Wise took Gray out with a two footed lunge just below the knee - Gray retaliated by stamping on Wise's ankle; and Wright's brilliant lob over Beasant to add to Gray's 6th minute penalty.

It was a humid Selhurst night with over 27,000 in attendance as you can see from the packed Holmesdale below.

Palace went into this game knowing that a victory would land us top of the league, only ever achieved once before in 1979. Despite a rare goal from Richard Shaw after just 82 seconds, Stuart Pearce scored 2 goals in 3 minutes to put Forest 2-1 ahead. Thomas scored a unusual equaliser in the last 10 minutes with a looping header from the edge of the penalty box. We end the day fourth but still unbeaten after 5 matches.

Stuart Pearce celebrates his first goal - a rare mistake by Martyn, as Coppell and Branfoot watch from the bench.

Forest game was fantastic. Martyn made a howler for the first goal, allowing Pearce's shot to squirm between his legs. Pearce's second was a brilliant free kick in front of the Holmesdale.
Thomas secured a late draw, with a header from outside the 16yard box, capitalising on a poor punch from the keeper.

These photos are fantastic and bring back great, great memories - What a superb time it was to be a Palace fan.
Just think about it - Finishing above Moan Utd, Chelski, Man Citeh, Spuds - The younger Palace fans wouldn't believe it !!!!

Eight games gone and still unbeaten. A real tough game this one against the following season's champions. (Yes, it should've been us )
Thomas puts us ahead with a fantastic counter attack at break neck speed, only for Gary Speed to level 5 minutes later.

Our biggest home gate of the season: 28,181, sees us held at home by second placed Arsenal. This game could've gone either way and we thought we'd snatched it when Salako swept in a cross from Wright at the Whitehorse end; Salako wheeled away in delight; the scoreboard even flashed up 'GOAL!'; but the linesman had his flag up for offside.

After the game, Arsenal manager George Graham said: 'People don't give Palace the credit they deserve. They have great team spirit.'

10 mins before the break......and that's how it stayed.To view the link you have to Register or Login

Looks like Anders Limpar being booked for a foul on Phil Barber, who receives treatment. To view the link you have to Register or Login

I hated going to Stamford Bridge. Talk about a bogey ground: we never get anything there. Infact, to date i think we haven't won at the Bridge since 1982, when Kevin Mabbutt and Jerry Murphy scored in a 2-1 win.

Didn't help in those days being 500 miles away from the play either. So not quite sure what's happening in this picture: could be Andy Thorn's goal to put us 1-0 up; could be a late attack trying to equalise; could be an alien mothership landing......who knows! Quite interesting to see the old 'shed end' there. Does it still look like that?

Boxing day, and despite being by far the better side, we go into the last 20 minutes one goal down. But two goals in the last 12 mins from Salako and Bright ensured we stayed in 3rd place and still in the title race. Yes kids, i did say 'still in the title race'. Our following match was against league leaders Liverpool, which we won leaving us just 3 points away from them. Headline on one back page the day after: 'Palace throw title chase wide open'.

Remember that Sunderland match being a real rain soaked day. Looks like Gray missing a chance there in the second half.

Live on the BBC, this game unfortunately didn't live up to its billing. Just a toughly fought match with both clubs holding firm. The replay of course was a 2-2 classic with Salako doing a 'Beckham' from the halfway line in the final seconds of the match.

At the beginning of this match, Coppell recieved the Barclays League Manager of the Month award, after we won 5 of our 6 league matches in December. Has a Palace manager won it since in the top flight?

Richard Shaw prepares to take a throw-in. The fan in front of him appears terrified at the sight of our Richard........he wasn't that ugly was he?

Incidentally, in the 2nd replay at Forest's ground, we got well and truely hammered 3-0. There was controversy at the end though when with 10 minutes to go, Brian Clough took Steve Hodge off and left his team down to 10-men. The thing was, Hodge wasn't injured, Cloughie just wanted to rest him for the next match! Apparently an annonymous Palace player stated: 'There was no question about it - Clough was taking the p***!' God, i miss the colour and joy Clough used to bring to football - a complete one off.

Five days after this defeat we had to return to the City Ground once again for a league match. Revenge was sweet though, as Young's headed goal led us to a 1-0 victory and still only 3 points off league leaders Arsenal.

A frustrating goal-less draw against 3rd bottom Rangers. We just never got going.

It was a bitterly cold day as you can see from the mounds of snow on this picture and the fact that nearly one half of the Holmesdale had to be closed due to the treachorous conditions. Think the game would've been called off today - health and safety! Staff and supporters worked beforehand to make the pitch playable.

This game did hold some significance though. In the final 6 minutes we saw a certain Stan Collymore's debut for Palace after his £100,000 move from Stafford Rangers. Here he is trying to make an instant impact.

Certainly one that got away was Stan. Having watched him a lot in our reserves, I felt he was the natural successor to Wrighty when he went to Arsenal, but Sir Steve just never fancied him in that role. Not sure if it was a football thing or a temprament thing. Shame, because it may have made Wrighty's departure not the downturn in fortunes it turned into, saving us the £1.8m wasted on Gabbiadini and also having a highly marketable player on our books. Four years after this debut for us, Liverpool bought him for £8.5m from Forest.

I love this thread, well done Bubbs, some great photo's which bring back great memories.

Some trivial but fond memories : the Arthur's fascia in red and blue stripes, the red and blue terrace barriers, red and blue stripes on the front AND back of the shirts and the numbers being 1-11, stanchions on the goals (there was a time when it was possible to identify grounds simply by the style of their stanchions), games going ahead even when there was more than one snowflake on the pitch........

__________________"That's another fine mess Stanley" - Oliver Hardy to Stan Laurel in many films, or Twoseat to the Auld Reds at the Crown Ground in Accrington every other week.

I love this thread, well done Bubbs, some great photo's which bring back great memories.

Some trivial but fond memories : the Arthur's fascia in red and blue stripes, the red and blue terrace barriers, red and blue stripes on the front AND back of the shirts and the numbers being 1-11, stanchions on the goals (there was a time when it was possible to identify grounds simply by the style of their stanchions), games going ahead even when there was more than one snowflake on the pitch........

I used to love how every stadium had its own quirky individual character back then. I can watch clips from those days and within a second tell you what ground it is.